Everyday
by Chrikaru
Summary: Most people spend their lives searching for meaning in life but when each day is numbered every little mundanity suddenly becomes something precious. Everyday is one day closer to the end. Kyo x Tohru CHAPTER 4 UP!
1. Normality

**Chapter 1: Normality**

* * *

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my first Fruits Basket fanfic…please be nice! I appreciate all feedback, good or bad. This is set just after the series with some references to the manga (as not all events are covered in the anime)

The main pairing is Kyo and Tohru, though I also think the friendships displayed in Fruits Basket are very important.

Some of you will probably come to this fic through my Gundam Wing fanfic, Job Interview – if so, please don't despair - an update for Job Interview will be up at some point next week.

Any of you who haven't read that fic, please give it a chance as well

Okay, after all that babbling…I finally throw my fic to the wolves…I mean readers…lol…hope you enjoy it!

* * *

_If shame had a face I think it would kind of look like mine_

_If it had a home would it be my eyes?_

_- Sick Cycle Carousel, Lifehouse_

* * *

He stalked towards her, muscles rippling beneath his skin. His movement was unnatural: smooth and predatory.

Lust had darkened his eyes to almost black in the shadow-filled room.

She backed away, involuntarily moistening her lips nervously. The wall was solid behind her as he advanced.

She had barely breathed his name when he was in front of her, body pressed against every inch of her own. His arm curled around her waist, pulling her tighter against him.

Their breath mixed for a second as their eyes met, before he claimed her lips in a passionate kiss that was all about possession.

Her hands were flat on his bare chest; she could feel his heartbeat like a butterfly trapped beneath her palm. The hands that had originally been intended to push him away now moved to his shoulders and pulled him closer. She tilted her chin up and gasped as he trailed a line of kisses down her neck, lingering over the pulse.

The feel of his lips on her skin sent shocks through her entire body.

She had just leant back into the reassuring support of his hands at her waist when she felt the wall behind her disappear and a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders.

Stifling a scream she snapped out of her dream and shot up in bed, colliding painfully with another person before slumping back down, clutching her nose.

Kyo was staring down at her incredulously, blood already beginning to drip between the hands he held over his face.

"Kyo…"

Tohru winced; waiting for the explosion she knew was coming.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

He stomped out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. Even in his rage he was careful not to let any blood drip on the carpet, his actions, as always, speaking louder than words.

Tohru looked absently at a drop of blood on her own hand, the image of Kyo's crimson eyes burning in her memory: so loving and full of a need for her…and ablaze with rage as the world once more conspired against him.

When Kyo returned from the bathroom he threw some tissues on the bed unceremoniously.

"Here!"

His voice was muffled by the toilet paper he had jammed up his nose.

Tohru finally met his gaze as she mopped the blood from her own nose. Kyo stared back at her defiantly and Tohru blushed with the recollection of her dream. It was so unlike her...as if someone else had taken her over.

He frowned at her blush, and then took a deep breath, carefully controlling his temper before muttering under his breath.

"First Yuki punches me, then you give me a nosebleed…I should have let you both sleep in but Shigure insisted…stupid dog"

"I'm so sorry Kyo"

"Don't apologize! What are you still doing in bed anyway? Get up! We're going to be late!"

He turned to leave, mopping his nose with more tissue.

Tohru looked at the clock on her bedside cabinet and her eyes widened. Simultaneously she threw back the duvet and leapt out of bed, exclaiming at the late time.

Kyo turned back towards her as she caught her foot in the quilt and began to fall. Two seconds later he was on his back on the floor with Tohru on top of him. For just a little while he could feel every inch of her body against his own and the pain where the base of his skull had struck the floor didn't seem important. But it was just a few seconds before there was a large "Poof!" as Kyo transformed.

Tohru was on her knees behind him, face hidden by her hair. He turned towards her, fur bristling and made a conscious effort not to yell. He had already done enough of that for one day. He counted slowly backwards from ten before attempting to speak.

She sounded close to tears as she apologised once more and Kyo felt his anger drain away as quickly as it had risen.

"Don't worry about it. And, um, don't worry about breakfast either. Just get your shower"

Tohru started to protest, but he glared at her.

"You. Shower. Now"

Kyo could feel the familiar tingling beneath his skin that signalled transforming back and he didn't want Tohru to be there when it happened. He had already been in that compromising situation several times before, as had they all, but lately it seemed to matter more. Recently he had begun to notice the fact that Tohru was a girl and he was a boy and the way being around her made him feel…confused.

The door had only closed behind her a few seconds before he transformed back and scrambled into his clothes. Surreptitiously he checked the hallway before venturing downstairs. He didn't want to know what that pervert, Shigure, would say if he knew Kyo had been naked in Tohru's room.

* * *

"How's my little flower this morning?"

Shigure bustled into the kitchen and stopped short at the sight of Kyo standing in front of the cooker, wearing a mask and stirring miso soup. A pile of completed rice balls lay on a plate next to the rice cooker.

"Getting domesticated I see" Shigure laughed.

Kyo bristled, "Fine! You can make your own breakfast then!"

He lifted the plate or rice balls and stalked into the other room to set it on the table. Shigure poked his head through the doorway.

"Where's Tohru? Ah, how the sight of her brightens my day!"

Kyo kept his back turned towards Shigure and mumbled through a mouthful of rice.

"In the shower. She slept in"

Shigure opened his mouth to reply but paused, nose twitching at the smell starting to emanate from the kitchen.

"Kyo, I think something's burning! Tohru! Save us from this cat's cooking!"

He fainted dramatically against the doorpost, one hand held to his forehead. Kyo pushed past him roughly, fighting the urge to jam his fist down the stupid dog's throat.

And as if his day couldn't get any better, Yuki came into the room behind him. Unusually for him he seemed fairly wide-awake. Kyo glared, but kept his distance. He had already been punched through Yuki's bedroom door once this morning and he wasn't planning a repeat. Yuki raised his face and sniffed delicately.

"Is something burning?"

Kyo grimaced as Yuki's words registered with him and slammed the pot into the sink harder than he had been intending. The bottom cracked and the singed miso soup began trickling out. Furiously, Kyo turned the cold tap on full blast to get rid of the nauseating smell of burnt miso and stomped across the kitchen to turn the cooker off.

Yuki and Shigure peeked around the kitchen doorway with Shigure making a big show of waving the smoke away with his hand.

"Is it safe to come in?"

Shigure examined the broken pot.

"Really Kyo. You know the main house said they wouldn't pay for anything else you broke. At this rate you're going to have to get a job to pay for it all"

Kyo bristled.

"Why don't you make that stupid rat pay for it as well? He's the one who threw me through the door this morning!"

Yuki looked up from where he was standing examining the contents of the fridge and let out a deep breath.

"Idiot cat. It's your own fault – your guard is terrible! It's not even worth my time fighting you"

"Right! Bring it on now, pretty boy. I'm going to beat you once and for all!"

He took up a fighting stance and beckoned Yuki who responded by turning slowly towards his opponent, sighing.

"If I must…"

As the two prepared to move Tohru entered through the kitchen doorway and stopped between them, blinking.

Yuki relaxed his stance.

"Good morning Miss Honda. I hope you slept well"

"Thank you, Yuki"

She crossed to the sink and picked up the broken shards of pot in puzzlement.

"Be careful, Miss Honda, it's sharp"

Yuki shot a glare at Kyo and helped Tohru empty the pieces into the bin.

"That stupid cat decided to make breakfast and messed it up as usual"

Tohru interrupted before Kyo could retaliate.

"Oh no, it's my fault. I slept in so Kyo volunteered to make breakfast…it's only a pot anyway!"

She smiled, oblivious to the bloody tissue that still protruded from her nostrils. Kyo fought not to snigger, and then blushed as Tohru stepped up in front of him and gently removed the tissue from his nose.

"You forgot," She laughed softly.

"Um," Kyo blushed an even darker red. "You too"

She turned an uncomplimentary tomato colour before rushing towards the bin and removing the tissue from her own nose as well.

Shigure looked between Tohru and Kyo with a gleam in his eyes.

"Oh! It looks like Kyo's been thinking naughty thoughts!"

He teased, his voice singsong. Tohru almost fainted dead away while Kyo turned slowly towards Shigure, clenching his fist tightly.

"Shut up! I was not!"

Yuki shook his head as the cat and dog bickered and left the room to get his schoolbag, lifting a rice ball to eat on the way. Though he would never admit it, cooking was one thing that Kyo could definitely beat him at. Most of Yuki's creations were indistinguishable from his last as they all resembled charcoal.

As he slid the door open Yuki could see clouds gathering in the sky and he could tell it would probably rain before long. A glance at his watch revealed that if they didn't leave now they would all be late for school. He looked back just as Tohru emerged from the kitchen and slipped her shoes on, followed by a muttering Kyo.

Watching the cat for a reaction, Yuki lifted an umbrella from the stand. Usually the weather didn't affect Yuki the way it did Kyo but he was already in an irritable mood after Kyo had wakened him that morning by shaking his shoulders. Autopilot was engaged and Kyo went sailing out through Yuki's bedroom door in response to Yuki's good morning punch.

Tohru lifted an umbrella without comment and Kyo had no explosive reaction, though the volume of his grumbling increased.

As soon as they stepped outside the first heavy drops of rain began to fall from the pewter sky and they quickly put their umbrellas up.

Kyo looked at Yuki and Tohru, then the depressing grey sky above him and let out a heartfelt sigh.

He could just tell it was going to be one of those days.

Tohru glanced at the cat beside her as he trudged along beneath his umbrella. He looked as if something were weighing heavily on his mind.

"Is something bothering you, Kyo?"

Kyo looked up in surprise to meet Tohru's innocent gaze, surprised once more at the concern she showed for others…even creatures like him.

He looked away, scuffing his feet in a puddle.

"It's nothing. Just this weather…you know how it affects me"

Yuki snorted with laughter from where he was walking slightly ahead of the other two and Kyo was immediately on the offensive.

"What're you sniggering at you stupid rat?"

Yuki looked over his shoulder, covering his smirk with one hand.

"I was just thinking that it's strange you even bathe when you hate water so much…although how often you actually wash is another question"

Yuki laughed softly and Kyo's umbrella hit the ground as he aimed a kick at his cousin's head. Yuki dodged effortlessly and Kyo followed up with a punch aimed at his stomach, which Yuki also avoided.

"Stupid rat! Fight back why don't you?"

"Whatever you say…"

Swiftly he brought his knee up to connect with Kyo's midriff and Kyo doubled over, choking for breath. As he tried to get up again, Yuki chopped the back of his neck and laid him out on his stomach on the wet tarmac.

As Kyo lay, struggling to breathe, Yuki shot him a look of disgust and turned away.

"Let's go Miss Honda. We don't want to be late for school"

Tohru paused, obviously struggling for words.

"But Kyo…"

She ran to kneel by his side.

"Are you okay?"

Kyo pushed himself to his knees, as Tohru held his retrieved umbrella over him. He was already soaked so it wasn't doing much good but he appreciated the thought.

Yuki had stopped a short distance ahead and was clearly waiting for Tohru. Kyo took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet. Yuki had most certainly not been holding back and Kyo could still feel his attacks but he couldn't give up.

Tohru watched him nervously, dreading another fight. She shot a confused glance at Yuki...it had almost seemed as if he had been trying to start a fight.

It was unusual; Kyo didn't usually have the energy to fight on a rainy day and Yuki wouldn't normally have hit Kyo as hard as he had. Something was going on with the two of them that Tohru didn't understand. Something that had added a new serious dimension to their battles and a weight to their shoulders that hadn't been there before.

Kyo adopted a fighting stance and waited for Yuki to do the same, although he was already beginning to shiver as the cold rain worked its way to his skin. Watching, Tohru was surprised to see his shoulders slump.

"What's the use?"

The cat's voice carried clearly through the rain and Yuki's eyes widened in shock as they reached him. Kyo dropped his eyes, clenching his fists in quiet desperation.

Without another word he turned and took off back towards the house.

Tohru started after him with a cry but he didn't slow down. Yuki and Tohru watched until he was out of sight and then turned to exchange glances with one another.

"That was strange…" Tohru said quietly with a frown on her face.

Yuki nodded "Yes…" but he said no more, instead looking after the cat with an understanding in his eyes that Tohru couldn't explain. There was definitely something going on here that neither of the two had told her about.

* * *

Hope you liked it – it just popped into my head a little while ago and has been growing since then

Please let me know what you think – praise or criticism both receive equal welcome as it's the only way I can improve my writing

Sorry for any typing mistakes – I usually finish writing the fanfic and then post it quickly before I lose my nerve…it's scary showing it to the world!

Once again, hope you enjoyed it – please review and let me know!

Until next time!

^_^

Chrikaru


	2. Bonds

**Chapter 2: Bonds**

* * *

Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 2! Sorry for the long hiatus on this project – was due to a focus on my other fanfics, moving countries several times and a desire on my part to read all of the manga in the original Japanese before continuing to update...but there will be more soon I promise!

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

* * *

Last chapter:

_Kyo adopted a fighting stance and waited for Yuki to do the same, although he was already beginning to shiver as the cold rain worked its way to his skin. Watching, Tohru was surprised to see his shoulders slump._

"_What's the use?"_

_The cat's voice carried clearly through the rain and Yuki's eyes widened in shock as they reached him. Kyo dropped his eyes, clenching his fists in quiet desperation._

_Without another word he turned and took off back towards the house._

_Tohru started after him with a cry but he didn't slow down. Yuki and Tohru watched until he was out of sight and then turned to exchange glances with one another. _

"_That was strange…" Tohru said quietly with a frown on her face._

_Yuki nodded "Yes…" but he said no more, instead looking after the cat with an understanding in his eyes that Tohru couldn't explain. There was definitely something going on here that neither of the two had told her about._

* * *

_Would you believe me if I said that I'm tired of this?_

_Well here we go now, one more time_

_- Sick Cycle Carousel, Lifehouse_

* * *

Kyo stopped his headlong dash on the drive leading to Shigure's house and took shelter under a tree, wishing he had paused long enough to take his umbrella from Tohru.

A roll of thunder raised goosebumps along his skin and he drew his arms around himself to keep warm. The rain showed no signs of letting up so he continued towards the house and crept inside carefully, hoping that Shigure wouldn't hear him.

Once safely in his room he stripped off his wet school uniform and dumped it unceremoniously in the corner of his room. Clothed more comfortably in his usual t-shirt and combat trousers he picked up his calendar off his desk and flopped onto the bed.

It wasn't like him to back away from a challenge but he was beginning to feel more and more the futility of fighting back.

Just one more school year to go...he counted off the months and days slowly. If he didn't defeat Yuki before then he would have lost his bet with Akito. And losing his bet with Akito would mean that the next year would be his last living in the real world.

Kyo pushed the crippling feelings of helplessness down inside himself; he would not let Akito win! He would not give up when he still had time to make a difference.

He squared off with the punch bag in the corner of his room and began attacking it, seeing Yuki's face on the receiving end of every punch. A small, slightly feral grin spilt his face. He could already imagine the look on that stupid rat's face when he hit him! The shock as he lay on the ground and looked up at Kyo, the winner. Kyo's smile faded, as the image expanded to show Tohru running to Yuki's side to check if he was alright before turning towards Kyo.

Life had been so much easier when he had been able to hate Yuki, to hate the rat like the cat should because of what he had been cheated out of. But because of Tohru it was hard to see Yuki as an enemy like he had before.

He slumped forward, almost embracing his punchbag as he leaned his forehead against the rough canvas.

There was no easy way out.

* * *

"Are you okay Miss Honda?"

Tohru looked up with a start and began to wave her hands frantically, "Y-Yes Yuki! Of course I'm alright! There's no need for you to worry"

Yuki smiled at her antics; she never seemed to realise how endearing her flakiness was.

He pushed Kyo to the back of his mind; that was a problem that could be dealt with later.

"Yuki?"

She was looking down at her feet and fidgeting nervously with the edge of her school skirt, "Will Kyo be okay?"

Yuki snorted, he couldn't help himself. It was difficult to think charitably of anyone, let alone Kyo, so early in the morning. And it was just like the cat to make a stupid fuss over nothing without thinking about how much it would upset Tohru. Especially since he knew that the cat would be just as adamant as him in keeping her a safe distance away from Akito.

If he were honest with himself he knew that Kyo wasn't the real target of his frustration...it was more the inevitability of what was to come and his powerlessness to stop it. Yuki pushed his thoughts down forcefully behind a neutral mask...they couldn't get Tohru involved.

"Don't worry."

Yuki smiled and held out his hand, "Let's go to school"

Tohru paused for a second before taking his hand, questions raised by their fight taking precedence in her mind.

Yuki was a kind person, one of the kindest she knew and going out of his way to deliberately hurt someone seemed against everything she knew of his character. It was the same for Kyo. When they fought each other they were fighting to win, not to hurt the other...but the fight she had just witnessed left her feeling uncomfortable. Kyo never gave up yet he seemed to despair while Yuki had definitely not been holding back when he struck his cousin.

She could already tell that Yuki wasn't going to elaborate and imagined that Kyo would be no more receptive to her queries; they were never more allied than when they were trying to protect her from something, in particular the complicated politics of the Sohma family. Didn't they realise that they had become some of the most important people in her life?

She could no more ignore things that caused them pain than she could throw away her memories of her mother. The rest of their walk was in silence, each too caught up in their own thoughts to bother with small talk

Through unspoken agreement Yuki and Tohru stopped holding hands just before they came within sight of the school. It wasn't that either of them were embarrassed, just that they knew how easily other people in the school would jump to the wrong conclusions. Tohru had already had to face a lot of heat from Yuki's fan club simply by arriving with him every morning, and if not for Hanajima it would probably be a lot worse.

Tohru liked holding Yuki's hand and she was happy that he was finally able to offer his hand to her as freely as he did.

The more she found out about the Sohma's and their childhoods, the more aware she became of how little affection most of them had experienced. It seemed wrong to her that any child should have to grow up with so little love in their lives.

It seemed wrong that any parent could let the curse come between them and their child, that any child should grow up believing that they weren't fit to be loved. The sheer fact that they kept living from day to day, after all of the horrible things they had each experienced,awed her.

How could Momoji keep smiling so brightly when the people he loved thought he was a stranger?

How could each of them keep walking forwards everyday after all that they had been through?

* * *

"Miss Honda? Miss Honda!"

Tohru leapt out of her seat as the teacher's face swam into view.

"Y-Yes Teacher?"

The teacher sighed, "I asked, Miss Honda, if you would kindly answer the question on the board?"

Tohru looked up at the jumble of numbers and mathematical symbols scrawled across the blackboard and panicked. She couldn't remember any part of the lesson.

A few of her classmates began to snigger at the obvious dismay on her face.

"Um...that would be...um...I'm sorry!"

The teacher sighed once more and returned to the front of the classroom, picking out another pupil to answer the question instead.

Tohru looked down at her textbook and tried to concentrate on what remained of the class. But it was useless...she had doodled cartoon animals along the top of her notebook, making it obvious where her concentration lay.

Kyo and Yuki had both been behaving so strangely lately, whereas Shigure seemed normal. She couldn't figure out what exactly was going on but she knew enough to know that something had changed...and once again she wasn't being told anything.

Had something happened between Kyo and Yuki? Or was it something else to do with the main family? And how could Shigure behave so normally when Kyo and Yuki were so obviously bothered?

Shigure had always been a bit of a mystery to her. She knew there was much more to him than the image he presented and, in a way, it made her nervous of him. He had never been anything but kind to her but something about him made her a little cautious.

The sheer fact that he had been the first Sohma to be permitted to live outside the family enclosure spoke strongly of his having some amount of influence or power. His motives were also a mystery to her; why had he let her live with them at the risk of their secret? And had he played some part in her being allowed to be with them for as long as she had? It seemed that all other stories of outsiders involved with the Sohma family had ended in tragedy – why should Shigure have any reason to believe that her story would be any different?

The more she found out about the Sohma's the more questions she was left with...

Tohru flinched as a hard paper ball struck her on her left temple, tearing her out of her musings. She looked around to see Uo sending her a cheeky grin and blushed before trying to tune back into what the teacher was saying.

Somehow she would get to the bottom of the mystery.

* * *

Uo waved her hand in front of Tohru's unseeing eyes and grimaced at Hanajima.

"Nope, no response"

Hanajima glanced across the classroom at Yuki who was also sitting alone at his desk, obviously preoccupied. Had something happened in the Sohma house?

Uo flicked Tohru in the middle of the forehead

"Oi, wake up idiot!"

Tohru blinked, then predictably coloured and began to splutter an apology.

Uo interrupted her, "What's wrong with orange-top today?"

Tohru looked down and began to fidget with the edge of her school skirt, as she always did when she was nervous or uncomfortable.

"I don't know. He and Yuki had another fight this morning"

Something about the tone of her voice alerted her friends to the fact that it wasn't just any fight; after living with them for so long she was used to their normal fights but the way Yuki and Kyo had been behaving had been anything but normal.

Uo shrugged, feigning indifference, "What's new?"

Hana watched her friends carefully as Uo gradually coaxed Tohru back into a slightly more cheerful state of mind.

The images of the night where they had found her slumped on her mother's grave were still fresh in her memory. It had hurt so much to turn away from Tohru; to refuse to let her run away from her responsibilities. Even now, she wasn't sure if doing so had damaged Tohru's trust in her although it had been the right thing to do.

Hana still worried that something had happened that night to take away part of Tohru's optimism but Tohru either couldn't or wouldn't tell them exactly what she had been through. Something had changed though in the way Kyo and Yuki looked at her, Yuki with a stronger respect and Kyo with something resembling hope. And Tohru seemed more affectionate with them too, especially with Kyo, as if she were reassuring them of her friendship.

Neither she nor Uo had been naïve enough to believe that that night would be the end of the matter.

It was obvious that there was a lot more going on than Tohru had shared with them and Hana couldn't help but worry at the mystery in her head trying to put the pieces together to form some kind of coherent picture.

It was too late now to wish that Tohru had never become involved with the Sohma's...and Hana knew that Tohru would never wish it so no matter how much she suffered because of her decision.

All they could do was be there for her as much as possible. In an impulsive motion she put an arm around each of her friends and drew them closer, suddenly wanting to reassure herself that they were safe.

Maybe her foreboding would turn out to be nothing more than paranoia but just in case...just in case she would make sure that her loved ones stayed safe.

* * *

"Yo"

Yuki started as Hatsuharu's face appeared inches from his own.

"Haru" He let out a breath and settled back down to the desk, ignoring Haru's eyes boring into him. He couldn't help a glance out the window at clouds that seemed to have become heavier rather than starting to clear; the weather was sapping all of his energy. A warm hand found his forehead and he looked up again, "I'm fine"

"Kyo?" Haru's eyes were unreadable, but Yuki knew he was thinking of the ticking clock that hung over Kyo's head.

Yuki paused for a second then nodded, just once. He knew Haru would understand.

They had been brought up to hate and pity the cat, to look down on him. It wasn't something he was proud of but it had been reassuring at times to look at Kyo and know that there was someone more cursed than him, to know that no matter how much everyone hated him, they hated the cat more. He knew Haru understood, that he had felt that way too and that he was ashamed. Life had been so much easier when the cat was simply a monster to be detested... but now the cat had become Kyo and Yuki couldn't reconcile himself with locking him up for nothing more than the crime of being born.

His head hurt from wrestling with all the possibilities, none of which seemed to lead to a happy ending.

Haru sat beside him, one hand resting on his brow in silent sympathy as Yuki lowered his head onto his arms once again. Yuki was praying for the day to be over sooner...but for Kyo another day over would mean one less day of freedom.

* * *

Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think :o)

And a massive thank you to yoo-hoo , Krissy119, Iris, The Soulmater(Holly), Kyo's favourite kitty and .obsessor for reviewing the last chapter – it really means a lot!

Thanks again and hope to see you again next chapter!

^_^

Chrikaru


	3. Friendship

**Chapter 3: Friendship**

* * *

Author's notes: Hey everyone – back with the latest of my spate of updates this weekend and apologies for the long wait!

Hope you enjoy this chapter and look out for the next one coming soon!

* * *

* * *

_Last chapter:_

_"Yo"_

_Yuki started as Hatsuharu's face appeared inches from his own._

_"Haru" He let out a breath and settled back down to the desk, ignoring Haru's eyes boring into him. He couldn't help a glance pout the window at the clouds that seemed to have become heavier rather than starting to clear; the weather was sapping all of his energy. A warm hand found his forehead and he looked up again, "I'm fine"_

_"Kyo?" Haru's eyes were unreadable, but Yuki knew he was thinking of the ticking clock that hung over Kyo's head._

_Yuki paused for a second then nodded, just once. He knew Haru would understand. They had been brought up to hate and pity the Cat, to look down on him. It wasn't something he was proud of but it had been reassuring at times to look at Kyo and know that there was someone more cursed than him, to know that no matter how much everyone hated him, they hated the Cat more. He knew Haru understood, that he had felt that way too and that he was ashamed. Life had been so much easier when the Cat was simply a monster to be detested, but now the Cat had become Kyo and Yuki couldn't reconcile himself with locking him up for nothing more than the crime of being born. His head hurt from wrestling with all the possibilities_

_Haru sat beside him, one hand resting on his brow in silent sympathy as Yuki lowered his head onto his arms once again. Yuki was praying for the day to be over sooner...but for Kyo it would mean one less day of freedom._

* * *

_I tried to climb your steps_

_I tried to chase you down_

_I tried to see how low I could get down to the ground_

_- Sick Cycle Carousel, Lifehouse_

* * *

Kyo's ears pricked up as he heard the unmistakable sounds of Tohru sliding the downstairs door open and beginning to climb the ladder to the roof.

He feigned disinterest, only watching out of the corner of one eye as a thermos flask and tray of rice balls appeared over the edge of the roof. The hope that he hadn't even been aware he was forming disappeared whenever Tohru's smiling face didn't immediately follow the tray.

She wasn't going to come and sit with him. Kyo turned on his side so that his back was towards the ladder; it was too cold to expect her to stay outside so he shouldn't be disappointed. If she did she would probably just end up getting sick and he would have to cook her leek soup again...really, it was better if she just left him on his own. But all his protests couldn't change the fact that he really wanted her to come and sit with him.

The sound of Tohru once again coming up the ladder interrupted his thoughts and he turned in time to catch the bright smile she aimed at him.

"I brought some snacks"

Kyo watched her carefully as she balanced the tray, flask and umbrella and tottered slowly towards him. For someone so clumsy she had good balance, but he was still ready to grab her if she slipped. For someone like Tohru it was only a matter of time before it happened.

"It looked like it might rain so I thought I should bring this too!"

Tohru brandished the umbrella proudly and Kyo winced as one of her feet slid on the tiles and she wobbled slightly. It was just a matter of time.

*

* * *

*

Hatori did one last circuit of the building making sure that all the shutters were fully closed and locked in place. It was a miserable day and he wasn't surprised to see that most of the other houses were already shut up against the weather.

The Sohma compound felt deserted; it felt to Hatori like a ghost town as everyone moved slowly and spoke softly, wary of the wrath of the God who lived among them.

He paused as he rounded the corner only to see Akito seated on the porch, staring at the approaching stormclouds with unfocused eyes.

"Akito, you should go in before you catch cold"

He was the only one who could speak to her like that; despite the fact that a whim of hers could turn his life upside-down, all he could see when he looked at her was the unloved child who had grown into the twisted adult sitting before him now.

Akito turned her dark eyes on him and Hatori unconsciously tensed before forcing himself to relax.

"There's not much time left now is there Hatori?"

Akito didn't even wait for his reply before unfolding herself from the ground in one smooth movement and retreating inside.

Hatori glanced at the clouds overhead and pulled the shutters closed behind them just as the first fat drops of rain began to darken the porch. A frown creased his brow as he answered, thinking of the life that Kyo had to look forward to.

"No", he agreed, "Not much time left at all"

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As it began to rain Tohru put the umbrella up and slid closer to Kyo so that they could both fit underneath, knees pulled in towards their stomachs to keep everything inside the small circle of dryness. As night fell the temperature dropped and Tohru pulled her legs closer, unconsciously moving even closer to Kyo.

Kyo looked down at her, his heart inexplicably speeding up at their proximity. She was almost pressed against one side of his body, her head just a few centimetres from resting on his shoulder. One of his arms was stretched behind him to lean on and it now brushed Tohru's lower back...one small movement and he would have his arm around her properly.

As always, Tohru seemed unaware, chatting away gaily about one thing or another. He wasn't honestly listening anymore, just drinking in the sight and smell and feel of the first person who had accepted him unconditionally. She was the first person to make him feel as if he was something more than an outcast...as if he could be something more than a curse to those around him. The thought of losing everything was more acute because it would mean losing her too...and he wasn't ready to let her go.

Some of what he was thinking must have shown in his face because Tohru seemed to lose her train of thought.

Tohru paused suddenly in her babbling as she met Kyo's eyes and a self-conscious blush spread unchecked across her face. He was behaving strangely and it was making her nervous...what was going on in the Sohma family that she didn't know about?

She shivered and moved a little closer to Kyo's warmth, trying to ignore the fact that it made her heart speed up a little as if in anticipation. It felt nice to sit with him, a little huddle of warmth against the cold of the rain and wind.

His arm was almost but not quite around her but Tohru didn't think anything of it because, no matter what her friends said, she knew that neither Kyo nor Yuki saw her in a romantic way. Why would they? She didn't see them in a romantic way either...not that she really knew what seeing someone in a romantic way would be like.

All of her imaginings as a child had followed the formula of princess swept off her feet by a knight on a white horse but, outside of the strange aberration of her dream that morning, she had never imagined anyone she knew as the object of her affections. She could see that both Yuki and Kyo were good-looking, as were all of the Sohma family but this recognition had never led to her acting any differently around them than she usually did.

But sometimes the look in Kyo's eyes as he watched her made her heart skip a beat...it was so soft and gentle, a side of him that was very rarely seen. It gave her a warm feeling inside her chest and she thanked Lady Fate once again for finding her a home.

Tohru met Kyo's eyes and smiled at him, her cheeks feeling slightly hotter than usual for no reason she could discern. Her smile widened as Kyo's lips twitched upwards in response.

His voice was barely above a whisper, "Thank you Tohru"

She opened her mouth to question him, but stopped, somehow realising that it wasn't something he was ready to talk about.

Tohru passed him the umbrella and poured them both another mug of hot tea from the flask, before changing the subject. They sat together in the darkness, chatting easily about anything that crossed their minds.

If Kyo's arm moved closer to Tohru, or her head rested against his shoulder for longer than was strictly necessary, it was nothing that either of the two felt was worthy of comment.

They were friends after all, wasn't this what all friends did?

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Yuki rolled up from his bed and strode across to the window, staring sightlessly at the rain as it beat against the glass. He felt trapped but there was nothing he could do about it. He paced restlessly around the room, pausing to examine anything that caught his attention, but eventually he returned inevitably to the window to stare once again at the heavy clouds as if they could offer some answers.

Yuki was confused. The first time he had met Kyo the cat had told him that he hated him and Yuki had questioned him about it...but inside Yuki had silently acknowledged his answer. He was the rat, the betrayer, and as such he had expected nothing but hate from his fellow members of the zodiac. He had believed Akito when he had said that it was impossible for anyone to love him.

But things were different now and they had been changing for quite some time.

Akito's ultimatum was the main source of his confusion; Kyo had become more than just a name to him now and he couldn't bear to think of anyone going through the same treatment he had once faced. He wouldn't wish that upon his worst enemy, let alone someone who he found intensely irritating but considered as an ally of sorts.

He had seen Kyo in the cat's form and he had seen how a few words from Tohru were enough to bring him back to himself. He no longer believed the main family's preachings that the cat was a demon, a monster that deserved to be locked away. Kyo was Kyo, not a threat or a monster or anything but a person. A person who was the victim to an unfortunate curse, just like they all were.

Nobody deserved to be imprisoned the way he was fated to be.

But the only way Kyo could avert that fate would be to defeat Yuki...and Yuki could never put himself within Akito's control again; he would rather die first.

Things had changed between himself and Kyo since the summer holidays had ended.

For a while they had been getting along, as well as could be expected with their clashing personalities. Tohru had always been there, the buffer between them and the glue of their home with Shigure. In a way Yuki hated himself for his weakness in being unable to break away from the safe world she had created for them; the dream that he knew could never last for long. But the lure of a normal life was too strong and he couldn't bring himself to end it, even as the inevitable end drew nearer.

She wasn't stupid; Yuki knew she could feel that there was something going on and that she would worry about both himself and Kyo.

She would worry and she would try to fix things and she would end up being hurt by Akito. It was inevitable. Therefore they couldn't afford to let her know what was going on.

Yuki didn't even have to ask Kyo to know that he felt the same; he had already seen it in Kyo's eyes that very morning; the pain and the desperation and the protectiveness that he thought he kept so well-hidden.

They couldn't tell her...instead they would live out this fantasy until the end and he just hoped that the memories they created could keep them warm in the bleakness that would surely follow.

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Author's note: Thank you for reading – please let me know what you think!

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Individual thanks to reviewers below:

Amber – here you go, more to come soon!

Luver – Thank you very much – hope you keep reading!

ArisaWithaLeadPipe – I think you have the record for my longest review ever so thank you very much for taking the time to let me know what you think! I'm really happy that you like my story and I promise to finish the story even if it takes me ages!

Serena Scarlet – Sorry for the long delay but I'm back on track now so will hopefully see you again soon!

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Thank you again to everyone for reading (and hopefully reviewing)

See you again soon!

Chrikaru


	4. Awareness

**Chapter 4: Awareness****

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Author's note: Hi again everyone and apologies once again for taking so long to update. Truth is that I got caught up in writing other fics (including another two Fruits Basket ones) Should hopefully get some posted up soon so you can see that I haven't just been doing nothing! Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading!

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_Last chapter:_

_Tohru wasn't stupid; Yuki knew she could feel that there was something going on and that she would worry about both himself and Kyo._

_She would worry and she would try to fix things and she would end up being hurt by Akito. _

_It was inevitable. Therefore they couldn't afford to let her know what was going on._

_Yuki didn't even have to ask Kyo to know that he felt the same; he had already seen it in Kyo's eyes that very morning; the pain and the desperation and the protectiveness that he thought he kept so well-hidden._

_They couldn't tell her...instead they would live out this fantasy until the end and he just hoped that the memories they created could keep them warm in the bleakness that would surely follow._**_

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_I tried to earn my way_

_I tried to change this mind_

_You had better believe that I tried to beat this_

_Sick Cycle Carousel, Lifehouse

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Tohru opened her eyes slowly, squinting against the sunshine coming through a crack in her curtains.

She smiled; she had always liked sunny days but she had come to appreciate them even more since moving in with the Sohmas.

A sunny day meant that Kyo would smile more and he would be more easily persuaded to accompany her on a walk or help her with the shopping. A sunny day meant that Yuki could spend time at his secret base and he would invite Tohru to come with him. A sunny day seemed to bring all of the zodiac out of themselves a little and Tohru knew that she could always look forward to visitors.

She had always liked sunny days but now she loved them as they invariably made her feel as if she had been adopted by a large, dysfunctional family.

She glanced at her clock as she sat up and stretched; the alarm wasn't due to go off for another half an hour but she was wide-awake now. Standing she stretched again and flung her curtains and screen door open.

The air was still crisp with the chill of early morning and Tohru inhaled deeply while turning her face up towards the sun in appreciation of its warmth.

She dressed quickly, trying to ignore the tiny frission of excitement that set her heart speeding...she was most definitely not hurrying because she knew that Kyo would be the only other person up this early, most definitely not...

Tohru knew he trained every morning in a clearing near the house; she could see it from the kitchen window so getting up early to make breakfast or prepare bento lunches was the perfect excuse to watch him.

Not that she really needed an excuse but she had an uncomfortable feeling that Shigure would tease her about it or Kyo would train elsewhere if he thought he was being observed. She didn't want that because watching the way he moved fascinated her...he was so graceful where she was clumsy, each movement an exercise in controlled strength.

Sometimes she had even considered asking him to teach her or tried out some of the movements from the martial arts books she had borrowed from the library...but even the basics seemed to elude her and she didn't want to ask Kyo for help until she was sure that she wouldn't completely embarrass herself in front of him.

She measured and washed the rice more thoroughly than usual, anything to prolong the moment before she would have to turn away from the window.

Kyo paused suddenly, mid-way through a routine, and turned towards the house as though he could feel her eyes on him.

Flustered, Tohru ducked below the sink and counted slowly to ten before daring to peek outside again...after all the rice could do with being washed one more time...

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Kyo could feel a prickling between his shoulder blades as if he were being watched but when he had turned to look there had been no-one there.

Logically it could only be someone who lived in the house... if not for school Yuki would be nocturnal and Shigure was loath to leave his futon until the morning chill had long since dispersed...which only left Tohru and he had no idea why she would be staring at him with enough intensity to draw his attention.

Even the thought of her watching him at all made him feel uncomfortable, embarrassed... yet at the same time proud that he was able to hold her interest.

Tohru, the girl who had turned his life upside down and back to front so many times that he still wasn't quite sure which way he was facing...the person who had given him back something he had lost many years ago. Her acceptance gave him hope for a future which he had never dared to dream of before. She gave a new purpose to his training...it was no longer a distraction from the inevitability of his imprisonment, but a possible escape.

He glanced sidelong at the house once again but his peripheral vision caught no movement so he moved into the final routine, his focus settling as he thought of the future that he would soon have to fight for.

No matter what it took he would win.

He would win because the only other option was no option at all.

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Yuki frowned at the sun sneaking into his room; he could tell without even looking at his clock that it was far too early for any sane person to be up and about. Turning over he snuggled back into his futon and surrendered himself back into the grips of his happy dream.

Shigure took one last look in the mirror, allowing himself a rakish grin at his reflection. Looking good could only improve his persuasive power and he would need all of it today. Akito was growing restless as the time limit for Kyo defeating Yuki drew nearer. She didn't seem to doubt that Kyo would not win...but the continued presence of Tohru in the house was making her nervous.

Tohru was a wild card...and she had already managed to do so much that others could not; sometimes it seemed as if everyone was just holding their breath, waiting for her to do the impossible. Something about her somehow made the impossible seem possible...and it was that something that had made Shigure ask her to stay, all that time ago.

And Akito, knowing Shigure, was suspicious about what he might be planning.

It wasn't only that; Tohru herself made Akito uncomfortable, though she tried to hide it as best she could. As tempted as he was to say he could read her like an open book, Akito could be dangerous so first he would have to find out exactly what it was about Tohru that put her on edge.

Shigure knew that Akito already felt threatened by the amount of loyalty that Tohru commanded within the cursed Sohma members; perhaps even more than she did as their God.

The truth was that Tohru was too successful in making those cursed with the zodiac animals believe that they could live normal lives...and if they could live normal lives there would be no reason for them to stay with Akito.

Shigure straightened his tie needlessly once more; he refused to be frightened of Akito...and he refused to back down no matter how often she pushed him away and told him that she had no need of him. He would make sure that she wasn't left alone and he would continue betting on Tohru being able to change things.

There wasn't much time left...and perhaps it wasn't fair to rely so much on her without even letting her know just what the risks were...but if not for her, there was no hope for any of them.

If Tohru couldn't break the curse...well, Kyo's imprisonment would be the least of their worries.

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Tohru was on the balcony outside their bedrooms, humming as she hung out the laundry, like she always did. Kyo felt a sudden flash of irritation; why was she always working? He knew that she saw the housekeeping as her way of paying rent, but between cleaning up after them, schoolwork and her part-time job, sometimes it seemed as if she never had any time to relax.

"Oi", he called gruffly, shaking his head when Tohru nearly jumped out of her skin. How someone could be so completely unaware of their surroundings he had no idea.

"Y-yes!"

She turned around quickly, getting herself tangled in the sheet she was just hanging on the line.

Kyo sighed, then stepped closer to help her with it, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

She shook her head, just as he had expected her to; as usual she wasn't taking proper care of herself.

"Leave this and come and get something to eat."

Tohru shook her head again, "I'll eat something after I've hung these out to dry."

Kyo frowned, "Fine. Hurry up then!"

He sighed again as Tohru immediately rushed to follow his instructions, putting herself in danger of getting tangled up again. Without saying anything he stepped in to help. When Tohru looked at him questioningly he couldn't meet her eyes.

"I'm hungry, that's all"

She simply nodded, but she didn't stop smiling for the rest of the time they spent hanging out the laundry.

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Kyo flushed, thinking of Tohru; recently, whenever she was around he found himself wanting to reach out and touch her, sometimes just to confirm that she was there...and sometimes to almost mark her as his.

The possessive instinct was strongest when he saw her around Yuki. He wasn't sure when exactly it had started.

From the first day he had met her something about Tohru had made him want to protect her; she was so deceptively strong yet fragile at the same time. Sometimes he thought she was stronger than him, sometimes he wanted to scream and tell her to stop smiling and admit when something was bothering her. Sometimes he wanted to be the strong one for her...after all she did it for him everyday without even seeming to realise just how much it meant to him...to all of the cursed Sohma. So the protectiveness was nothing new...but the awareness; when had that started?

Maybe with the physical contact that Tohru had brought into their lives.

It was all so natural for her to rest her hand on someone's arm when she was talking to them or to touch her hand to their forehead if they looked unwell...but for Kyo and the rest of the Sohmas it was unusual. The first person with whom Kyo had had any real physical contact with was Kazuma and between learning to avoid physical contact to prevent accidental transformation and the fact that his parents avoided it as much as possible, it had become something rare and precious. Kagura's touch was unpredictable, caring one moment and murderous the next but Tohru...unconsciously he had accepted her touch and even come to expect it at times.

She was always hesitant, as if expecting rejection but even that small, light touch could calm his temper in a way he had never thought possible...because it reminded him that she needed protection and reassurance as well, even if she always tried to put up a strong front. It made him feel...needed somehow.

It wasn't the big things; Kyo knew that it was the little things that he would remember about Tohru.

The way her eyes would light up with her smile, the feel of her hand creeping into his or the weight or her head resting on his shoulder. The way she would hum as she made riceballs for breakfast and sometimes sing aloud while hanging out the laundry. The way she would chew on her lip when she was worried or really concentrating on something; the way her apron tie would always come undone when she became flustered or the way she struggled to fold the sheets...he would remember all these things and more.

"Kyo?"

He looked up to find Tohru watching him curiously. A second later her hand was pressed against his forehead.

They were sitting at the table, rice balls and miso soup in front of them. Tohru's plates were almost clean while Kyo ahd barely touched his. Usually he would be finished long before her.

"Are you feeling okay? You've just been holding your rice ball without eating it."

Kyo flushed and Tohru leaned closer, "Your cheeks look red...could you be getting a fever?"

Her eyes were incredibly blue this close and Kyo couldn't help but stare, just a little.

Tohru caught his eyes and quickly sat back down on her heels, her own cheeks a little flushed. They both looked at anything but the other as the atmosphere was suddenly awkward.

"Um, Kyo, is something the matter?"

Kyo shook his head quickly, "Nothing, nothing at all."

Without anything else being said, they went their separate ways, neither caring to explain exactly why they were blushing.

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**Author's note:** Far too long since the last update as always, but thanks for sticking with me and this story anyway! I have the next three chapters completely written (just need to be edited before uploading) and the rest drafted so I promise to continue, no matter how long it takes.

Thanks again for reading and all reviews are very much appreciated!

Just wanted to ask my readers how they feel about the use of Japanese in fanfics? I generally try to avoid it as it is often overused/incorrectly used in fanfics. However, there are certain things that don't translate very well such as, for example, kotatsu tables – a small coffee table with a fitted blanket and heating element underneath it, often used in traditional Japanese houses. I imagine that a lot of readers will have seen these kinds of things in the anime/manga, but I wanted to ask how you feel about their use in fanfics? Should I provide an explanation for things such as these?

Please let me know, thanks!

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Individual thanks to reviewers below:

Fading Noctis – Thank you very much for taking the time to review each chapter and sorry that it took so long to update – hope you enjoy it!

Serena Scarlet – Thank you for reviewing again! And no problem about being mentioned – you took the time to give me some feedback so the least I can do is say thank you and try to update more regularly in future! Hopefully see you again before long!

Hatake Kai – Thanks for reading and reviewing and sorry that my update rate is rather sporadic!

Racquella – Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it but hope that you don't get in trouble for reading it in class!

Kazumi-with-blue-wings – Happy you enjoyed it and sorry that it took so long to update – more coming as soon as possible!

Love-to-write-01 – Thank you and I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. I will keep writing even if it takes me forever!

XpeanutButterX – Will try to update more often – happy you enjoyed it!

xcatloverx – Thank you – glad that this story has become one of your favourites despite me being terrible at updating – more coming soon! (P.s - had to remove the dot in your name as this website kept deleting your entire name? Weird, huh?)

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Thanks again to everyone for reading and hope to see you all again soon for chapter 5!

Chrikaru


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